Best of LinkedIn: Smart Manufacturing CW 27/ 28

Siemens unveiled an Industrial Foundation Model and reinforced virtual‑optimisation use cases that are reshaping day‑to‑day factory decisions

Microsoft set its FY26 agenda on real‑time “agentic” AI applications for shop‑floor problem‑solving

Intel promoted a unified manufacturing data warehouse and highlighted semiconductor advances delivered through AI‑powered digital twins

Plataine and Critical Manufacturing demonstrated AI agents and embedded ML models that cut labour bottlenecks and predict material defects

A new CDOT AI Code offers durable, machine‑readable identifiers that extend traceability across an asset’s life cycle

Warehouse and logistics twins reduced handling errors and boosted throughput before physical rollout

Siemens Process Simulate validated delta‑robot cells, de‑risking automation projects

A battery‑production twin cut waste by 25%; other posts showed plant‑wide twins compressing layout‑optimisation cycles

Garvey and several OEMs used customer‑facing twins to prove ROI on accumulation systems and production upgrades

Despite heavy capex, many plants still lack a coherent orchestration layer; authors stressed starting with Lean basics and data governance

Mondelēz and other pioneers linked transformation success to structured change‑management and talent programmes

Cloud‑ready MES releases (Critical Manufacturing on AWS, Plex at Accutech) illustrated faster rollouts and resilience during demand shocks

Thought leaders pushed “software‑defined manufacturing” as the next step toward truly agile, integrated engineering

Edge‑enabled load‑balancing mirrored smart‑home techniques to cut industrial energy spend

Rockwell Automation case work showcased double‑digit emissions reductions through data‑driven optimisation

A*STAR and SSAM Catalyst formed a partnership to co‑develop sustainable‑manufacturing solutions

Synchronising one million robots emerged as a headline challenge, placing the spotlight on robust orchestration software

Schneider Electric’s latest Altivar drives enhanced safe‑motion control via native PROFINET/PROFIsafe

Wandelbots advanced low‑code robotics programming, accelerating deployment for brownfield sites

OPC UA adoption accelerated as major cloud vendors joined the foundation board, reinforcing a single edge‑to‑cloud interoperability stack

Experts called for secure‑by‑design architectures and direct C‑suite ownership to harden increasingly connected production networks

Surveys highlighted a widening skills gap; culture and training were flagged as the least‑mature elements in most smart‑manufacturing roadmaps

Real‑time feedback loops reduced scrap in discrete lines, while AI‑driven codes delivered lifetime part traceability with minimal manual scanning

TRUMPF’s award‑winning innovations underscored momentum in metal printing

New use cases in oil‑and‑gas showed additive delivering cost savings and sustainability gains when paired with generative‑design AI